Sad Waters
by keelhauled
Summary: Documenting some of the hardships that the Sole Survivor, Melody Caparelli, has to dwell in. After meeting MacCready and helping him get all of his problems straightened out, she must now focus on her own and of those that she's taken to protecting. Watch as she battles sickness, mutants, emotions and one of the things most precious to her. Near-Future Sole Survivor x MacCready.
1. Chapter One: Satisfied Mind

**SO, I'm going to warn everyone now. I am the absolute worst person when it comes to starting stories. I can never get the first chapters right because I am a very impatient writer, and I beat myself up over it ALL the time. I want to write about one thing, but I have to go through several other things and it ends up being a complete MESS. It's an ongoing disaster that takes place inside what I like to call my brain. This is an outcome of serious writers block, much to my own dismay. HOWEVER, i'm going to try my best with this little bit of fiction. It's something I've been pondering up since I bought Fallout 4 on release day, and have decided upon doing a Sole Survivor/MacCready fic. I mus advise that this is going to be complete trash, but I hope that everyone who takes the time to read it will like it. Feedback will be helpful. Also, I am unbearably sick right now which means if I make any mistakes, I am terribly sorry, my brain is on a shut down mode. (This story will also more than likely contain major spoilers.) Alright, please enjoy.**

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 **Chapter** **One: Satisfied Mind**

The bar she sat in was nothing she could compare to her old life. It was rundown, dirty, filled with stale air. The entire place smelled like a cesspool, and that's exactly what it was. This seemed to be fitting around her more and more as the days passed. She was no longer an honest housewife with a newborn son and loving husband before the war. Now she was a killer, fighting to survive in the world as she searched for the child that had been taken from her. She would admit, living now was a lot harder than she could ever have imagined in the past. She had been 23 when she was frozen, starting what would have been her wonderful life with the man she loved. But now? Now she loved the feel of a combat rifle in her hands, loved the little bit of push it pumped into her shoulder upon shooting. She loved the way eating a bit of pre-war food made her body feel all fuzzy, she also loved the way that the world held almost no rules; at least not in the wasteland. Some days she would forget why she was searching and instead help others instead of herself, earning some caps along the way. It had been a few weeks since she did anything, however. Almost 14 days of nothing but wandering, drinking and shooting. Melody Caparelli was sure falling into the life of a wastelander easily.

The redhead sat at the bar, two beers being sat in front of her by the Mister Gutsy bartender. It was her second night being there after arriving the evening before, and the atmosphere still caused her a bit of surprise. As the hours went on into the night, more people arrived and the music would get louder. Sometime around midnight, Melody would have to leave and head back to her room at the Hotel Rexford due to the crowd getting too rowdy for her liking. For the moment, however, things were going nicely. Only a handful of people loitered around in the main room, watching sweet Magnolia sing on the makeshift stage. Melody was enjoying it indefinitely until someone slithered up onto the stool beside her. From the look of him, she could pin that he was a Gunner.

"Hey there, what's a fine gal like you sitting alone at a bar for?" he grinned.

Since leaving Vault 111 and making it to Diamond City, Melody could have understood why men and even women drooled over her. She had the exotic post-cryo look to her. Recently unfrozen, expecting it to still be just after the bombs had fell in Boston. She was fresh faced and unscathed on every degree. Now, however, she found it hard to believe. Choosing to wear a corset with jeans and combat boots, she had been sure to attach all the little armor mods that she could. Chest plate and the whole nine yards. Her hair wasn't even the same as when she arrived in Diamond City. She was about 30 days out of the Vault at that point, and wanted to be able to look more like a wastelander. That is where the unladylike cut came into play. She grew into loving it right away, but others tended to stay away. Unless someone was this stupid.

"Staying away from cretin like you," she spat, teeth baring slightly.

She promptly stood up, picking up both her bottles of beer before turning her back and stalking off to one of the lounges. Inside she sat down, only to regret it immediately upon the sight of the two Gunners trying to intimidate another man. Deciding it best to stay out of the matter, Melody put her beers down and brought her Pip-Boy up, scrolling through her files. She blocked most of the conversation out until she was suddenly addressed.

"Ay, remember to mind your own business, girl," he spat.

Melody looked up at him, her eyes narrowing into thin slits.

"Last I checked, I was. Why don't you fuck off and bother some other unlucky pricks? You're disturbing the peace,"

Two of the three men shot her a nasty look, each in turn, before they sauntered out of sight. Melody released a small breath and brushed her hair out of her eyes. The remaining man stood nearby, his eyes watching her. She turned her own towards him, silver meeting blue. They remained like that for several minutes until he spoke first.

"You looking for a hired gun?" he asked.

She stood up at that, choosing to stand and pop out a hip for her hand to rest upon. She looked him up and down, studied his form, eyed the way he carried himself. A small smile worked its way onto her plump lips.

"Hmm... I'm not sure. How much are you charging and most importantly, how good are you?"

"250 caps upfront, then you can call me as good as yours. Trust me, you'll be impressed,"

Melody gave no thought after he said that. Why shouldn't she give him a chance? In truth, she had been feeling quite alone since she had left the Vault, and asking Nick to return to Diamond City didn't help her much on that part. Roaming aimlessly without a partner in crime was something she had been missing out on, and so even if it cost her 250 caps, she wasn't going to pass up on the opportunity for some company. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a small pouch of caps, tossing it into his direction. A small smirk played on her features.

"There's 300, don't worry about giving me the extra 50 caps back," she hummed out.

He caught the pouch and looked up at her, surprise written across his features.

"What's your name?" she finally asked.

"MacCready," he replied. "Yours?"

She gave him a wistful smile, "Melody Caparelli, but you can call me Mel."

She held out her hand for him to shake and he took it, meeting the strength behind her grip.

Melody sat back down after that and offered him her untouched beer. They sat like that for a while, not really talking. After some time Melody pulled out a pack of cigarettes and took one out. She held the pack in MacCready's direction, indicating for him to retrieve one if he smoked. To her liking, he did, and she promptly put away the pack afterwards. She replaced it with a gold encrusted flip lighter, sparking her cigarette fluidly. She inhaled the first puff deeply, blowing it out some seconds following. MacCready did the same as her, and there they sat. Silently puffing away at the sticks of tobacco, Melody admiring the way the tendrils of smoke fluttered up, and MacCready watching her curiously. This carried on for an hour until the man finally broke the silence.

"Who are you?" he asked.

The question not only surprised Melody, but it startled her as well. She was on her sixth cigarette and her third beer at that point. Taking a swing of her beer, Melody sunk into her seat a little bit.

"You want to know my story? I guess I won't blame you, so many people do. No one's asked me in a while, though," she smiled, lopsidedly.

MacCready took a small drink of his own beer.

"I guess I do want to know your story, yeah. It's not everyday that I have a female hire me. Most have their own little digs like Magnolia does," the dark haired male stated.

The redhead gave a small release of breath.

"My full name is Melody Caparelli. I was… born before the bombs fell. I had a husband and I had a son named Shaun. Right before the bombs fell we made our way to the vault near our community. We had been authorized entrance. Inside we were cryogenically frozen, and when I first 'woke up', my husband was shot and my son taken. I only recently was unfrozen, and I'm just looking for my baby. The Institute has him," Melody frowned.

The redhead took a long puff off her cigarette, holding in the smoke before she released it into the dingy room. The air had grown thick with cigarette smoke since she had been there sitting with MacCready. The man was sitting beside her, his head turned to face her; studying her. She couldn't blame him. Who signed up to work with someone only to figure out their baggage afterwards? Only those unlucky, like what he would have labeled himself if it didn't strike close to home. Melody could tell by his eyes that he pitied her, and the look caused her to be uncomfortable. In hopes of a change of mood, Melody stood up and stretched.

"I have a room at Hotel Rexford, if you'd like to tag along. If not, I'll meet you by the gate at around 8,"

MacCready nodded and stood up as well. He was at least a foot taller than Melody, towering over her small frame as she finished off her still lit cigarette. Quickly afterwards she stumped it out into a nearby ashtray. Picking up her short combat rifle, she slung it over her shoulders and finally looked up to meet his face.

"I'll tag along," he stated. "There's nothing left for me here, anyway. Goodneighbor has been good to me, but it's not very welcoming."

Melody nodded in understanding, and the two made their way out of _The Third Rail_ and back to the hotel. MacCready pointed certain things out to her about the small Ghoul settlement as they made the short walk, informing her to stay away from people with certain looks (" _See them over there? You never want to get caught up with those sorts. Junkies. You ever come across one of them? They'll rob you blind, even gut you where you stand, just to get a fix. Never try to befriend one of 'em, I'm telling you._ ")

Melody was content to have someone talk with her, even on the short walk. Nick was always good for talking, but Melody could feel that MacCready was a lot different than the synth detective. Nick Valentine never would have been so unbearably blunt about people, such as Junkies. She respected that, but maybe having MacCready around would help her more with certain conversations and better understanding groups of the wasteland. Particularly she was interested in the Gunners and why they were _such shitty people._ Most of the other groups she understood just fine, much to most peoples dismay. Luckily for Melody, she had a knack for lobbing off their heads.

"Well, this is my room. Do you have your own? I'm sure you could afford one with the caps I paid you today, but if you're saving them up or going to buy some supplies, we can bunk together," she smiled, using her key to unlock the door they had stopped at.

MacCready seemed to weigh the information around a bit.

"You don't mind bunking?" he inquired, eyebrow raised.

"Nah. I used to travel with someone else and we'd bunk together. I had to let him go back to his detective duties," she replied.

Melody stepped into the room and turned the light on. Inside the room was a bit of disorder. On the table in the corner sat a pistol, completely dismantled and sitting untouched. A pair of dirty clothes lay on the floor near to the door. A pack sat at the foot of the bed, contents spilling out and onto the floor. Melody looked at him sheepishly.

"Sorry about the mess. I can sometimes be a walking disaster," she quiped.

Maccready entered into the room behind her and gave a shrug, looking around and glancing at all the stuff he could see for the moment. His eyes caught Melody moving towards the desk and sit down, her slender fingers and nimble hands quickly getting to work on fixing the gun she had taken apart. MacCready watched as she cleaned each part and inspected them before she swiftly put the weapon back to work. By the end of it all, 20 minutes had gone by and the man stood behind her, intent and speechless.

This woman was an absolute wonder to the world.


	2. Chapter Two: Midnight Man

**Here is chapter two! Yay! Once again, I suck at starting stories so this chapter is going to be a tad weird. I'm just trying to get into the flow of writing for this story, so bear with me for a little while. Next chapter I should be doing a much better job, there won't be large gaps of time missing! I hope that you all enjoy this chapter, and please, review if you could! It'll help me make this story better. Happy reading.**

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 **Chapter Two: Midnight Man**

It had been one month.

That saying of things can happen quickly in a short span of time? MacCready could swear that was the entire definition of Melody Caparelli. The woman moved faster than one would think. One night they're in Goodneighbor, he's freshly hired and the both of them are eager to hit the road, two days later she's leaving him on the edge of _The Glowing Sea_ for four days. She had told him it was too dangerous for him to come along due to the radiation, but she was A-OK because she had recovered a pair of Power Armor she had stashed nearby to the border. Four days was an awful long time for him, and those days being spent doing nothing was even worse. He thought she was crazy for even going into the disaster but she insisted that it was what she needed in order to gain access to the Institute. Another crazy idea, he thought. Who willingly put themselves into the shit show that was the Institute? MacCready would never know; he would never understand anything having to do with science in his entire life. Rifles, stealing and lockpicking was more up his alley. A more old-fashioned approach. He expected a terminal to blow up in his face if he even touched it.

After Melody had returned from _The Glowing Sea,_ they had gone back to Goodnieghbor only for her to trek them across to _The Castle_ where The Minutemen dwelled. Once she had the situation of getting into the Institute under control they went off on a different trail. He had opened up to her about his situation with the Gunners and to his surprise, she was more than eager to help. What he didn't expect was the involvement of a vertibird thanks to her involvement with the Brotherhood of Steel, and the sight of her hanging out the side of it with a sniper rifle. the crazy look of amusement and thrill that enveloped her features in those moments was enough to strike his heart with a fond feeling. He found himself from that moment forward really warming up to her.

In fact, the events following the destruction of his Gunner problem all revolved around him. He had let her in about how his son was sick, how his wife had died, and Melody did everything she could to help him for an entire week. They had traveled to Medtek Research, found the cure, and she hustled them back to Goodneighbor and to Daisy, who promised to get it to Duncan. MacCready never thought he'd find someone so willing to help him with his problems, but he suspected that Melody was influenced a lot by her own troubles and that of her own son. Either way, he was more than thrilled about her helping him. He could never think of a way to repay her.

After that, they had went to Diamond City.

Melody had been avoiding the trip there, he could tell. She always tried to find reasons to not return to the city, but now was a time where she couldn't skirt around the trek any longer. MacCready couldn't understand why she didn't want to go back there, it was her home from what he had gathered. Her detective friend and dog were there, awaiting her return, and MacCready thought that was something to look forward to.

They had just entered inside the gate and already MacCready could see how different it was than when he had last been there. More people seemed to be about, as well. Melody already a sense of an idea on where to go more than he did, so he followed after her. She walked down the small incline where the front entrance was located and into the marketplace, passing by a young girl. Melody waved and said hi to her, taking out a Nuka Cola and handing it to the girl. Normally he would be upset about her just giving out things, but he knew that both of them could understand why she did it with the young girl. MacCready felt his heart lurch at the understanding and he smiled at the redheaded woman. Melody returned his smile and continued on, making her way towards a building by the town trader. Pulling out a key she unlocked it and entered inside, flicking on the lights as she went. Once inside, MacCready was flabbergasted. The walls had been painted a warm reddish brown, the door they entered inside led to a living room with couches, a chair and a coffee table that was home to a television. To his surprise, a box overflowing with holotapes lay beneath it. Further inside she walked and they passed a kitchen with a stove and fridge that seemed to be working, fit with it's own sink and cabinets. MacCready was more than surprised, especially since most houses didn't have the luxury of actual appliances that worked. Melody soon brought them to the end of a hallway. There sat some work tables, a gun rack, a few lockers, a filing cabinet and two or three tool boxes. She smiled at him as she gestured to it all.

"What's mine is yours. This is typically where I like to spend most of my time. I like to tinker when I'm not doing stuff and I'm here. You're welcome to do the same, if it interests you. Uh, I usually cook when I'm here as well. I have to go into the market today to pick some stuff up, actually," she laughed. "Through there is the bathroom. There's a shower and a bathtub, whichever you prefer. Most of the supplies in there should be stocked up is the bedrooms. Come with me."

Melody dropped her shotgun down onto of the worktables before she started up the stairs. Walking up the first flight brought them to one door and she opened it, walking just inside so she could drop her pack off on the floor by a desk. Peeking inside MacCready saw that items littered around the room in certain areas. Crumpled clothes lay on the floor by the bed, papers were tacked up on the walls as were a few flags, and on the desk sat a terminal and various components that belonged to science related items.

"This is my room. If I'm not downstairs, I'm in here. Uh, up those stairs is your room. Come on,"

The redhead quickly left her own room and shut the door, eagering making her way up the next flight of stairs. She opened the door and gave him a small smile. allowing him to walk in and gaze around. A bed sat in one corner while a desk, dresser and a filing cabinet took up a bit more space. There was no sign of a terminal, nor any components that belonged to its category which left the man thankful.

"This is great, thank you," he smiled, taking off his hat.

Melody nodded and reached up, touching his cheek ever so slightly with gentle fingertips.

"You're welcome," she breathed and left.

 _11:36 PM_

The clock on the roof ticked, keeping track of every minute, every hour he had been up there. He hadn't seen Melody since she had touched his cheek earlier, and that had been several hours prior. So here he sat, flip lighter in his left hand and a cigarette in his right, a pack of cigarettes discarded onto the little table beside him. He had been lucky enough to find the pack downstairs in the living room, and so he retreated to the rooftop, the wasteland air helping to clear his head. Many things had been plaguing his mind for the past couple of weeks. He was worried that the cure wouldn't arrive to his son on time, he was anxious on how to repay back Melody for what she had done. He tried to give her back the 300 caps that she had given him in the beginning, but she refused (" _No, those are yours. Consider them a gift, because I want you to be able to buy the things that you'd like."_ ) It brought back a swelling feeling to his chest just thinking about it. He thought he despised all that was good, that could be considered nice, but yet he got weak at the knees like a wussy when she played role of sweetheart. Not even Lucy had been so giving when she was alive. MacCready couldn't tell if it was payback for everything; slowly torturing him into a dramatic mess of weak knees and slushy heart in order for him to be caught off guard and shot, or if he truly had done some good in all his 22 years that earned him this smooth talking, gentle woman.

MacCready went to light another cigarette when the door to the roof was opened, granting upon it all his attention instead.

There stood a man, except not really a man, but a synth. He could only guess that it was the detective friend Melody had told him about. Nodding to the figure, he returned to his ritual of lighting a cigarette; place between teeth, flip lighter, light cigarette, enjoy. Once finished, he placed the lighter down onto the table near to the pack of smokes and turned his head to the man who had just sat on the patio chair beside him.

"You must be Nick," he acknowledged. "I'm MacCready."

He held his hand out for him to shake, and Nick took it, returning the firm grip.

"Ah, yes. Mel told me about you earlier on when she came to retrieve Dogmeat and check in on me. It's a pleasure, and a relief to meet you," Nick chimed.

Nick's strange yellow eyes settled on him and he had to advert his gaze, taking a few long puffs off the cigarette between his lips.

"A relief?" MacCready asked.

Nick nodded, "Yes. Mel may be one tough gal, but she most certainly shouldn't be traveling alone. Looking at where she comes from, she'd be the best catch in the whole wasteland. Pretty as can be, and so much fun for them raider folks to break. When she left me so I could attend to my detective duties, that was one thing I worried about most. She's tough, mean, and a real fighter, but if the likes of those caught her off guard she'd be gone to us all."

Nick was rewarded with a frown from him. As it all sunk in, MacCready could see where the man was coming from. He worried about her as though she were a daughter to him, it would seem, and the fears he had for her really sunk in for MacCready. Everyone knew that Melody was from before the war, it was common knowledge most recently shared by Diamond City Radio (who MacCready would have to have a serious taking with). He could see how she'd be a huge target for raiders, evcen Gunners, and the mere thought didn't settle well with him. It churned his stomach and forced him to take a long drag off the cigarette.

"Well, I'm glad I can be of service then. Don't want anything bad to come of her, she's a real sweet lady," he agreed.

The synth man gave him a curious look, "She's got you too, huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"Mel has a way with men. Most everyone she comes into contact with becomes transfixed on her being, I don't quite know why. She's a real bitch to most, and the haircut really throws you off. She looks like a real tough mercenary, even acts like one, but yet everyone wants a piece of action from her. Everyone except myself, that is, being a synth and all," Nick chuckled. "Anyway, you just have the look about you. Like you're caught somewhere between how you feel towards you and here's my advice: don't let her get away from you, she'll be impossible to get back."

MacCready gave the synth a look, a bit of a frown playing on his features. The clock now read _12:04_ , and he could feel himself itching to go out and do some target practise. He suddenly felt really antsy.

"Could you tell me a bit about her? I feel like she knows me like a book she'd read a hundred times, but yet I feel as though I only know a few pages from the book that is her," MacCready sighed.

Nick nodded, "You're right about that one. Mel doesn't let many people know about her life, too scared she'd end up disappointing most. She was 23 when she was put into cryo sleep. She had an infant son named Shaun and a husband. The family had done some military things in the past and so due to their service, they had been granted access to the Vault. Mel hoped it was going to save her family, but it broke her. She's missing pieces, as a person. She's lost, and she's hoping that finding Shaun will help her be back on track. I don't think it's going to help her any, though. Between you and I, I'm not sure how long of a time span had been between her son getting kidnapped and her being unfrozen for good. It could have been ten years, or it could have been fifty.

I'm worried that when she finds him, that it's not going to help her at all. I'm not able to help her, I'm needed elsewhere by other people, but I'd like to see you help her through everything. Don't let her run you around like a dog searching for a bone, make her come to decisions with your help. She really needs it."

MacCready nodded slowly, his eyes overlooking the market, Percy's voice filling his ears as all went quiet. Two of the local children could be heard running around in the alleys below faintly, their laughs barely breaking the stiff night air.

"Where is Melody now?" MacCready asked.

"I think she's inside somewhere. She was feeding Dogmeat when I came up here to meet you,"

MacCready nodded and stood up, patting Nick on the back as he walked to the door and into the house. He descended down the flights of stairs after taking a peek into her room and finding her not there, so he went to the kitchen and living room in search of her. Discovering her not there, MacCready made to walk back up the stairs when he heard the water running in the bathroom. He slowly approached and gave a gentle knock.

"Melody?" he questioned.

There a short pause, "MacCready, is that you? What is it?"

"I just wanted to talk," the coral haired man admitted.

He could hear her laugh through the door at his response and the grin could almost be heard in her voice as she spoke next.

"Come in, there's no lock on the door. Don't act like you've never seen a naked woman before,"

MacCready felt his stomach lurch at her words and he found himself hesitating to enter. His mind rushed back to what Nick had said and a lump formed in his throat. He slowly twisted the knob and pushed the door to the bathroom open, entering inside quickly before he changed his mind. He kept his eyes downcast as he shut the door and leaned against it, the sound of rushing water hitting skin filling his ears.

"What's on your mind?" Melody asked, her voice sounding wet through the steam and moisture in the room.

MacCready mentally kicked himself. When did he turn into such a wuss? He ran with the Gunners, he had lived on his own with a group of kids when he was 12. He was from the Capitol Wasteland, for Atom's sake. What kind of bullshit was this? He had seen plenty of naked women in the time since Lucy had died, but… but Melody wasn't like the other women. He took a deep breath and looked up.

"I just wanted to know more about you. You know so much about me, but I'm basically in the dark about you," he remarked.

His eyes finally landed on her body. It amused him. Even though there seemed to be a perfectly good shower curtain attached to the shower, she neglected to pull it around her to shield her nudity from prying eyes. Were his eyes prying? He would assume so, by the way they kept running along her body. Nick would be right to think that she'd be in danger from those out in the wastes. She seemed to be completely flawless everywhere except her back. On her back were not only four gashes that were still in the process of healing, but a bit of skin discoloration that lingered along her lower back and trailed along her left hip. It looked strange to him, something he had never seen before on someone. On the area specified, the skin was all normal colour except for large pieces that breezed along her flesh toward the left side; those areas were white. It looked beautiful, in an odd way. Another thing out of the ordinary was the tattoo that resided on the back of her right thigh. It picture was unexplainable, but incredibly beautiful upon her pale skin.

"Well, why don't you ask me some questions? Ask all of what you're dying to know," she grinned.

At that moment, he had a million different questions.


	3. Chapter Three: Wild

**Well, we have arrived at chapter three! This chapters a bit sweet, maybe a little cheeky. I thought that maybe I should also tell you all that my character is loosely based off of _Tank Girl._ I mean it when I say loosely. Some traits will be the same, others not so much. Just a little fun fact! Alright, lets carry on with the story. Once again, reviews would be helpful. **

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**Chapter Three: Wild**

"How are you so comfortable with letting me see you naked?" MacCready demanded.

Melody grinned over at him and shrugged, stretching her arms above her head afterwards.

"It was never something that bothered me as I grew up. It didn't help when I enlisted with the military, you got no privacy. I've probably seen more naked men and women than you ever will in your life," she laughed.

Melody loved the feeling of the water rushing down her body, and with a promise of endless hot water, she wasn't going to pass up the chance of subduing all the feeling in her limbs with the precious resource. No one would ever understand her love for hot water until they lived before the bombs had fallen. It was one of her guilty pleasures, and something she would never pass up for anything. The fact that she could allow MacCready to sit in there while she basked in all its glory as they talked was a miracle in itself. If she informed him on why she refused to exit the running water, she doubted he'd ever understand. She discovered that quite a few people didn't share in her opinions a lot of the time.

"Alright. What are your plans out here?" he asked as he sat himself down on the floor in front of the door.

Melody turned towards him and brought her hands up into her hair, massaging a layer of shampoo into her scalp and the half cut that she sported. A small grin appeared on her features as she weighed around his question in her head, her green eyes capturing his gaze easily as she spoke.

"I want to leave my mark. I never got to do that before, in my past life. Twenty-three and a short tour in the military is what I had to leave behind when the bombs fell. It saved me, sure, but now I really want to do something. I want to be that badass bitch people talk about on the radio, kicking ass across the wasteland and letting everyone know that I mean business. I know I have to find my son, I'm so close to reaching that goal but I'm in the waiting process. Why can't I have a bit of fun while that happens? I want people to know my name out here. I don't want to be just another page in history. How fulfilling is that? Not very, I'll tell you," she laughed, a wicked grin on her features.

MacCready nodded at her and the redhead grinned over at him before she began to wash out her hair. It didn't take long and next up was the conditioner. Man, was she happy that she learned how to make her own from the girls in the military.

"What about you, MacCready? Do you want to leave a mark in the world, or are you satisfied with being just another person?" she asked, letting the water run through her freshly cleaned hair.

He sat there for a few moments, thinking over her question. She could see it by the way he sat there, his arm leaning against his upright knee and that _look_ he got. His eyebrows would knit together, his lips thinning out into a line. Melody watched this happen often with him, especially in the situations they had been in in the past month. They could really scope out each others emotions at this point, she'd like to think.

"I guess the same as you," he confessed sheepishly.

Melody nodded, satisfied with his answer. She slowly turned the water off and stepped out, grabbing the nearby towel and wrapping it around herself. She slowly made her way towards him and smiled, holding out a hand towards him,

"Come on, I'll cook up something to eat. How does brahmin steak with baked tatos sound? I bought it fresh, I swear,"

MacCready laughed and grabbed hold of her hand, using it to help himself up off the floor. He opened the door for her and she stepped through, making her way to the kitchen.

"That sounds good. I haven't had a home cooked meal in I don't know how long," he admitted.

Melody tsked him, quickly grabbing three plates from a top shelf in one of the cabinets. The reach was far too tall for her, but she never asked for help. She completely it all on her own, save for the serious midriff she awarded his eyes with. The man shook his head at her, but she continued on, taking two steaks in packaging from the fridge as well as two tatos. Grabbing two pieces of cutlery from one of the drawers, she handed it all to him with a smirk before she made her way upstairs and into her room. MacCready waited outside her door as she dressed.

Inside the bedroom she flung off her towel, quickly pulling on a pair of panties and some shorts. No bra could be found in the mess of the room and Melody sighed, opting to just throw on a button up t-shirt. It was way too large for her, so big she felt as though she was swimming in it. The sleeves were short, the pattern a solid green colour, and it hung down all the way to her ass. She shrugged and proceeded to exit the room, giving the man waiting a cocky wink.

"To the roof, poindexter," she grinned, rushing her way to the top of the stairs and opening the latch to the rooftop.

She held it open for him, letting him follow her out into the chilly night air. Nighttime Diamond City was her favorite time for the place. All was quiet except the hollering of Percy, the sound of feet on platforms, and the odd yell from a guard. It left things quiet, something Melody loved about the city. Whenever she resided at her home here, she'd basically live on top of the roof.

MacCready set the items he carried down on the table there and Melody went to the fridge that sat near the latch, plugged into an extension cord that ran down to ground level. She pulled out two cold beers and handed one to the man, promptly opening her own and taking a large swing. She walked over to the barbeque that sat up there and opened the top, making sure everything was alright. When she deemed it fine, she lit a match and dropped it in, setting fire to what laid beneath the grill. Unpackaging the brahmin steaks, she placed them on the grill and picked up her package of seasoning, generously applying it to the meat. She placed the tatos on the grill soon after, also applying seasoning to the tops of them.

Melody could feel MacCready's eyes on her as he drank his beer, and she turned around soon after she finished preparing the food on the grill. She noticed he had lit a cigarette and grinned, walking towards him to retrieve her own. As she approached he pulled out a cigarette and held it out to her, which she took. When she placed it between her teeth, he reached up with the flip lighter and lit it for her. His gaze lingered on her as she stood in front of him, puffing at her cigarette.

"I think we should stock up on supplies tomorrow morning and head out. I need to pick up a dead drop for the Railroad by the Quincy Ruins and I'd like to pick it up sooner, rather than later so I can see what we're getting ourselves into with this one," she mumbled.

MacCready knit his eyebrows together, "Gunners love that area. We won't have enough ammo to wipe 'em out."

Melody gave him a mischievous look as she moved to the barbeque once more, using tongs to flip the steaks over.

"That is why we're stocking up tomorrow, just in case. I'd rather not fight all them, maybe go in sneaky this time, but if not then at least we're prepared," she admitted.

The coral haired man nodded in agreement with her. There hadn't been a whole lot of sneaking with her so far, but he'd be more than up to switching to it for a day. At the moment, MacCready was a little happy to not be killing. He liked knowing that he had a place now in Diamond City. Melody had said what was hers is now his, and the feeling it gave him was.. different. When he was running with the Gunners he had his own digs, sure, but it never really made him feel like it could be a home. More like a personal prison. This was a lot different than that time in his life, and in a way he could say that Melody had saved him from himself. He was thankful for that, and for all she had done to help him since. He never really had a friend like her before, and it was a much relieved change.

He was broken from his thoughts as a plate was shoved in from of his face. It had the most pleasant aroma he had smelled in a while and upon setting his beer down, he grasped the plate with a grin. A fork and knife were then handed to him and he took both, quickly cutting into the steak.

"This smells real damn good," he muttered.

Melody watched as he took a bite out of the steak eagerly and she gave a laugh, sipping on her beer before she too took a bite. The two sat there enjoying their meal for a little while, a comfortable silencing falling over them. The sound of chewing could be heard from the two of them until their plates were cleaned off and stacked in a pile on the table once more. The barbeque had been put out and so they sat, looking up into the night sky. Melody was the first one to speak.

"Wanna hand me a cigarette?" she asked, a smile playing on the corner of her mouth.

The mercenary complied, opening the pack that had laid on the table and handing her the last one as well as the lighter. She tilted her head at him not taking one for himself.

"Pack empty?" she inquired.

He nodded.

"I'll share, then," she grinned.

She lit the stick of tobacco between her lips and inhaled, tossing him back the lighter. She took three long puffs off of the cigarette before handing it to him, which he took gratefully. She watched him place it between his lips and inhale, moving it away slightly afterwards to blow out the smoke. He repeated the process two more times before Melody was handed back the cigarette. The ritual of passing lasted until MacCready finished the cigarette and stubbed it out in the ashtray, Melody watching his movements for a while afterwards.

"I think I'm going to turn in for the night," Melody admitted. "Would you mind bringing the dirty dishes to the kitchen? I'm gonna wash them once I wake up."

"Yeah, sure thing. You look pretty tired," he noted, pointing out the bags beneath her eyes.

The redhead gave a small chuckle and nodded as she stood up and stretched, her fingertips reaching to the sky. She moved over towards him and ruffled his hair, his signature hat nowhere to be seen on the rooftop.

 _He must have left it in his room_ , she thought with a grin.

"You look good without a hat, MacCready,"

With that she left the rooftop and entered into the house below them, beelining for her bedroom. Entering into the room she closed the door and pried off the button up shirt, leaving it to hang on the chair to her desk. The shorts she wore also came off and she stood there in her panties, looking around the room briefly. Seeing nothing of interest, the redhead moved towards her bed and climbed in, pulling the covers all the way up to her chin and tangling them in with her legs. She was tired, exhausted, but she couldn't find sleep once she laid down and tried to close her eyes. She was met with black, and the thoughts that swam around inside her head.

Sometimes she felt like she was going crazy.

Another part of her suspected that she _already was._

Deep inside, however she knew that what she was experiencing in the world now was real. She would never go back to her old life. She'd never be able to have a happy family with Nate and Shaun like she had hoped for for so many months leading up to the child's birth. The fact that it was all just… ripped from her hands like that. All her hopes and dreams were crushed when she watched Nate get shot, his body crumpling before her eyes as their crying son was pried away and taken somewhere. Melody vowed that she was going to get revenge, to settle her own mind. She achieved it for Nate when she killed Kellogg. A bullet in the stomach was more than worth it to her. The satisfying sound of his skull breaking behind her hard swing of a spiked bat… it still brought pleasure to her. The man had hurt so many people, had destroyed her family. He deserved so much more than his brain being instantly turned to goop by her bat. Many times she found herself wishing someone could have made that man pay, but she was satisfied knowing that he no longer plagued the earth, and the knowledge that she did it made her feel all the more better.

Many nights she found herself wondering about Shaun. From what she knew, she had missed out on him growing up. He was ten now, and she never got to watch him grow up from that small bundle that would squirm in her arms into the growing boy he was now. She didn't think anyone would ever understand how she felt. That was until she met MacCready. Even though it was that his son had an illness, he would know what it's like to not know your child as they grew up. He was here with her instead, sending caps to him from a land so far away to the boy. It really struck Melody, and she wondered if that was why she wanted him around so much now. He was a soul that could match hers, someone who had faced loss and hardship. If anyone was to ever understand her, it would be him with all his sarcastic remarks and quips.

In the dark of her room she could hear him. She had laid there for quite a while, thinking to herself, but it was now interrupted by the mercenary she had so befriended. He was in the kitchen, she could tell, and it sounded as though he was doing the dishes they had used for dinner. A smile found its way onto her features despite her best efforts and she laughed quietly to herself as she heard Dogmeat whine at him. He said something she couldn't make out to the dog and that was when she decided to get up. Sleep seemed to be avoiding her for the moment, anyway.

Throwing on the button up once more, she did up a few of the buttons and moved to her door, opening it swiftly. She could hear Dogmeat whining more as she descended the stairs and neared the kitchen. He sat beside MacCready who was finishing putting away the dishes he had done up. Melody crossed her arms and leaned against the fridge, silently watching him. He didn't notice her until her turned to give his attention to the dog, and he jumped at the sight of her, only to quickly compose himself once again. She laughed a bit at his reaction and smiled.

"I thought I said I'd do them when I got up?" she questioned, her eyebrows raising at him.

The man shrugged, "Thought I'd give you a break. What are you doing up still? You look dead on your feet."

She shot him a glare at his comment and stood up straight, only to bend down and begin petting Dogmeat. The canine whined happily at her and wagged his tail, panting as he was petted by her. The woman smiled down at her pet and hugged him, rubbing her hand along his side.

"Are you hungry, boy?" she asked as she stood up.

MacCready watched as she stood back up again and went into one of the cabinets, pulling out a can of dog food. She quickly opened it and dumped it into a dish that laid on the floor. The dog quickly rushed forward and began to eat up his food greedily, tail wagging happily behind him.

"I can't sleep," she admitted, rubbing the back of her neck. "I have nightmares when I sleep, and just trying to sleep is a challenge in soon as I get ready for bed and I climb in for the night, my brain begins to put itself into overdrive and I never stop thinking."

MacCready nodded in understanding and frowned at her, stepping close to where she stood. He hesitantly placed a hand on her back and gave it a little rub.

"Do you need some company?" he asked her, his eyes softening.

Truth be told, he thought she looked like shit. She looked exhausted, like she'd collapse any moment. If spending the night with her helped to ease some of her tension and let her get some rest, he'd do it every night. He remembered a time where he went through similar things with being unable to sleep. It was right after Lucy died, and then again when Duncan got sick. He knew how important it could be to have something there for you in moments that broke you. MacCready knew what it was that was bothering her, and it even bothered him when he thought about it. Some place stole her baby, killed her husband… It left him feeling unsettled when he thought about it. It could have been anyone. It wasn't just her it could have happened to. The Institute stole people all the time, but with them they tried to replace them.. Melody never got a replacement. She was left to be a broken mother, a mother without a child.

"Would it be too much to ask? I just feel better when someone is there. I feel like I've been alone for decades," she spilled, a frown crossing her features.

MacCready shook his head and began to pull her in the direction of the staircase, leading her up the stairs and to her room. He whistled for Dogmeat to follow and the dog bounded up the steps happily, a bark being his only reply. The canine ran into the room and onto the bed as Melody began to settle into it. Dogmeat laid close to her feet and she poked a foot from beneath the coves, letting her toes brush along his shaggy coat. MacCready shut the door to the room and made to approach the bed.

Before he made to lay next to her he removed his duster and gun. He put both up safely, one hanging off the chair and the other sitting on the desk. His boots came off as well, and he even tugged his top shirt off, leaving him in a black tank top. Melody's lips formed a small 'o' as she gazed over at him, her eyes taking on a look of mischief. It slowly drifted away when he joined her on the bed and beneath the covers. It had been a while since they had shared a bed, and both of them somehow missed it. The comfort that another human being brings was more than either of them could fathom, and the point was proven when Melody boldly let her head use him as a pillow. The heat he felt from her body caused him to relax and hoping he'd help her fall asleep peacefully, he gingerly took her hand and held it in his own.

"Thank you," Mel breathed out.

She had started to relax with his company. Maybe because it reminded her of when Nate used to comfort her at night, or because she had a whole in her chest where her heart had been, either would suffice. The heat that MacCready gave off was comforting in its own way, and she found herself drawn to it, her small feet slowly inching their way to his side of the bed. He didn't really even seem to mind at all much, either. It let Mel relax into the bed, her muscles that had previously been tensed up releasing at the realization that the two of them were comfortable.

"You know, I'm curious about something," he started, "are you pre-war gals as good in bed as the wastelander chicks?"

Melody could hear the teasing tone in his voice, but she chose to pinch him anyway. It earned her a good ' _ow_ ' in response and she grinned.

"You're a goddamn prick, poindexter," she mumbled, a smile on her lips.

MacCready seemed satisfied with her answer and he laughed, the vibration of it transferring into her body as her head lay upon his chest. A shiver ran down her spine at the sensation.

"You know, I'm curious about something," she mocked.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. Are you wasteland boys as good at sweet talking as those pre-war ones?"

Another laugh emitted from him and she could hear that shit eating grin of his in his voice.

"Touche,"

Melody pulled the blanket up more as a chill ran down her spine once again, raising goosebumps on her skin. She noticed that the bottom of the blanket came up as she pulled it in more to herself and Dogmeat's head was between MacCready's and her own now.

"Is that your leg that's all hairy? Boy, you really must be out of the game," he joked.

He used his foot to pull the blanket back down and the dog moved its head out of the way. The redhead tucked the blanket beneath her toes, but a shiver still ran through her despite the heat radiating from the body next to her. He seemed to have picked up on her temperature, as well, since he crawled out of bed and left the room. Mel had went to protest but he returned just as quickly, the blanket from his room now being thrown on her as he closed the door with his foot.

Melody tried desperately to move the thicker blanket around her body, but from the angle she was at it didn't work much. MacCready made his way to the bed again and straightened out the blanket over top of her. As she looked up at his face she noticed a lit cigarette between his teeth and she huffed at him.

"Hang on, hang on," he murmured, flicking her nose.

He sat down on the bed next to her and took a few puffs off the cigarette before he took it and reached down, placing it between her lips. One of her hands came up from beneath the blankets and took it between her fingers as she inhaled, holding in the smoke as she talked.

"Thank you," she breathed out, releasing the puff she held in.

MacCready simply patted her head and let her smoke a portion of the cigarette before she handed it back. He finished it quickly and turned his body, allowing himself to put it out in the ashtray on her bedside table. He soon returned into his spot on the bed and Mel found her pillow spot on his chest. The man chuckled ever so quietly into the almost dark room, save for a bit of light coming in through cracks on the walls nearest to the door. One of his hands had found hers once again and he held onto it, rubbing his thumb along her knuckles in a soothing manner.

"You tired yet, stinker?" he asked, glancing over at her face.

She gave a small nod in response, her eyes closed and he knew she'd be falling asleep within minutes. With his free hand, he tucked the blanket in more around her side and chin, making sure she was nice and cozy before he let his own eyes close. He heard the soft rise and fall of her chest as she drifted into a slumber, and not soon after, he felt himself dozing off as well.


End file.
